Rail-bond



(Rolodelf) v l W. E. BAKER & H. M. BRINCKERHQPF.

BAIL BOND. I No. 541,259. Patented June 18, 1895;

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' NITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM'E. BAKER AND HENRY M. BRINCKERIIOFF, OF CHICAGO, ASSIGNORS TO-CARTER H. FITZ HUGH, OF LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-BOND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 541,259, dated June 18, 1895.-

Application filed March 11, 1895.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM E. BAKER and HENRY M. BRINCKERHOFF, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail- Bonds,of which the followingis a specification.

This invention reiates to improvements in rail bonds, and its object is to simplify and render more efiicient the construction of the same.

The invention consists substantially in'the construction and arrangement hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and finally more specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein- Figure l is a plan view showing the meeting ends of adjacent rails with our improved rail-bond applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line x 00, Fig. 1.

In the case of electrically operated railroads the rails are used as conductors to form part of the electric circuit. It has been found impossible to so closely join the abutting ends of adjoining rails as to make a good electrical contact, and hence, it has been found necessary to provide other means than the ordinary fish plates to efiect the electrical coupling up of two rails to complete the circuit. In the case of elevated railway structures, bridges, viaducts, and the like, it is necessary to accommodate for the swaying or depression of the track under the weight of the train of cars in addition to the coupling up vof adjacent rails. It has beenattempted to provide a rail bond which will meet these requirements, in the form of a spring connection bent into U- shape and riveted at the ends thereof respectively to the rail and to a web of a supporting girder of the structure. Such a bond is unsatisfactory and insufficient by reason of the fact that the constant up and down swaying or depressions of the track due to the passage of the trains thereover, causes the bond to break at the point where it is riveted to the web of the girder, thereby interrupting the circuit, and necessitating frequent repairs.

The objections noted above are all effect- Serial No. 541.302- (N0 model.)

ively avoided in our improved arrangement in a most satisfactory way.

We form our connecting bond A in the form of a spring reversely bent upon itself one or more times and having the respective ends thereof suitably riveted to the rail B, and to a flange of a convenient girder C. It will be observed that the part a, of the bond A is bent into parallelism with the base of the rail and is arranged to bear closely against the under side of the rail between two adjacent cross ties D. It will also be observed that the end I) of the bond is riveted to the flange of the I-beam or girder and that said end is presented to said flange at right angles with the plane thereof.

It Will be seen from the foregoing that the up and down vibration of the rails due to the passage of the cars thereover will be taken up in the bends c, d, of the bond A and that the riveted ends of said bonds are relieved of all strain tending to break the bond at the point of connection with the rail or girder.

It will be understood that the bond A may be of any suitable conducting material, and of any convenient or desirable shape in cross section. We desire also to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to any particu lar number of reverse bends in the bond, nor So to the particular manner in which. the ends of the bond are secured electrically to the rail or to the girder.

Having now fully explained the object and nature of our invention and a form of apparatus embodying the same, What We claim as new and of our own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

1. The combination with a rail and a oon- 9o ductor arranged adjacent to but independent of said rail, of a rail bond, reversely bent upon itself, and in electrical connection with said rail and conductor respectively, whereby relative movement of said rail and conductor are taken up in the bends of said bond; as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with a rail and a'girder, of a rail bond reversely bent upon itself and secured at the ends thereof respectively to too said rail and girder; as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with a rail and a girder, of a rail bond reversely bent upon itself, and in electrical connection at the ends thereof with said rail and girder respectively, the girder end of said bond presented at right angles to said girder; as and for the purpose set forth.

- 4:. The combination with a rail and a flanged girder, of a rail bond secured at the ends thereof to said rail and the flange of said girder, respectively, the girder end of said bond presented at right angles to the plane of said flange; as and for the purpose set forth. 5. The combination with a rail and a flanged supporting girder, of a rail bond secured at 15 the ends thereof to said rail and the flange of said girder, respectively, the girder end of said bond presented at right angles to the plane of said flange, and said bond reversely bent upon itself intermediate its ends; as and :o 

